"To Da MOON, ALICE!"

You
know, sometimes, when it's just you and your Dad... you need quality
time. Away from the distractions of school or work. Just you two out in
nature, bonding. Looking at the stars. Seeking answers in the Heavens.

And sometimes the answer is "PEEEEEET-THA THYEEEEEM!!!!"

This
intentionally cheesy homage (fromage?) to Georges Méliès' famous effect
from "A Trip to the Moon" was a special Prosthetic created by Rick
Lazzarini and The Character Shop, for a Little Caesar's Pizza Ad,
directed by Harold Einstein.

Production Designer Mark
Snelgrove contacted Lazzarini, whom he'd worked with in the past. The
first order of business was to determine the size of the moon head
itself, so it would not be too big or too small. Next, a life-mold of
the actor was created, with this body set at a forward leaning 45
degree angle, so as to give the maximum clearance under the chin for
the giant globe.

From the body mold, casts which
replicated the actor's face and head were duplicated, and upon this,
water-based WED clay sculptures were formed into the globe, craters,
pocks, and moon-like visage. The end result is an optical illusion;
seen from the front, the face looks round and full. Seen in 3/4 or
Profile view, the roundness you would expect starts to give way to the
actual, more flat-faced, human anatomy beneath.

The final
construct consisted of two pieces; the outer, firm moon helmet, made
from urethane and fiberglass bandage, had a padded interior, and an
inner facial Silicone prosthetic, made of soft
rubber, to allow for full movement of the actor's expressions and
speech. The final paint job was muted and soft, using a palette of
light to medium greys, to cue a visual recall
of the Méliès' moon-head.

A
special, adjustable slant board was created, and when draped in black
velvet and shot against the night sky, the Moon head appeared to be
suspended in the heavens.

…and then the actor was allowed to go to SillyTown. It's
unexpected, it's a little shocking….and it's quite hilarious!

Check out the ad:

Got a Makeup, Puppet, or
Creature Effect project where the sky's the limit? Call Rick Lazzarini
and The Character Shop. You'll be over the Moon!